Jared Kalmus – Alamodome Audible – (2-1)
These are the types of games UTSA fans have been dreaming of competing in. The Roadrunners head into Memphis to face off against one of the elite programs in the G5, as the Tigers seek to defend a 17 game winning streak in the Liberty Bowl. UTSA’s attacking defense will give true freshman Seth Henigan fits, but the Tigers’ ability to score quickly will make this game a high-octane nail biter. The Roadrunners land a signature win behind an efficient ground game.
UTSA 41, Memphis 38
Chase Otero – Photog – (3-0)
Nothing beats a showdown of the undefeated’s on a Saturday afternoon. As this game has come closer to kick-off, it has attracted a lot of media attention, and rightfully so! Memphis is coming off an SEC win and looking to keep their foot on the pedal. Especially at home, the Blue Raiders are perfect as of late, sitting on their 17-game win streak at Johnny Floyd Stadium.
UTSA busts into town, looking to prove that this year isn’t a fluke. With some injured players over the past couple of weeks, the Roadrunners can’t afford to lose any key contributors. If they’re going to have a shot at snapping their vaunted home streak, it’s going to be a complete team effort. The key to this game for Roadrunner fans will be UTSA’s defense and how they will look to shut down Memphis’s quarterback.
If you had asked me before the season started, I would’ve given a different answer. However, with the momentum the Roadrunners are equipped with so far this season, I have UTSA winning by a bird’s beak.
UTSA 34, Memphis 30
Stephen Whitaker – Staff Writer – (2-1)
There is a lot to like about this battle of the unbeatens on the east bank of the Mississippi (the Liberty Bowl is about six miles east of the river). Both UTSA and Memphis have worked hard for their 3-0 records. Both will enter Saturday believing they can move to 4-0. Only one will be able to do that.
I think UTSA will be the team to do that this weekend. This game will be a back and forth contest that might come down to whoever has the ball last. All week I’ve been saying it could come down to a Duplessis Field Goal as time expires. I’m sticking with that train.
UTSA 31, Memphis 28
Burk Frey – Photog – (3-0)
Isn’t this a cool spot to be in? Fans were saying preseason, “wouldn’t it be fun if we headed into Memphis with both teams undefeated.” UTSA had to beat Illinois and a conference opponent, Memphis had to beat Mississippi State and a gunslinging G5 team, and here we are.
While 2021 Memphis doesn’t quite look like peak 2010s Memphis, this was always going to be the toughest game on our OOC schedule, and thus the game I’m least confident in my prediction. Memphis is going to come out and punch UTSA in the nose, and UTSA will do the same. In a game like that, it comes down to culture. “Toughness,” if you will. Who will be able to get back up after being knocked down? Give me Birds by 1 in their first close win of the year.
UTSA 36, Memphis 35
Brandon Holland – Staff Writer – (3-0)
You have two squads coming off different styles of wins and both with things to still prove to themselves. UTSA had an opponent they couldn’t seem to put away but kept a lead all game. While Memphis came from behind and took advantage of a bad P5 team’s mistakes and seized a big opportunity on a special teams touchdown. The Roadrunners defense will be and is better than any Memphis has faced. The Roadrunners now face an opponent on the road who is on the edge of being knocked out or to clean up their act and be a conference champion threat. I think UTSA has improved in areas where Memphis is weak at and again has too many options on offense to choose from for Memphis to improve in 1 week to handle.
UTSA 34, Memphis 21
Garrett Wright – Contributor – (2-1)
Someone will get their first loss this weekend. On paper, Memphis takes the edge but that doesn’t always means it’ll translate on the field.This should be a really contested matchup but I think UTSA prevails at the end of the day.
UTSA 40, Memphis 37
Javi Cardenas – Publisher – (2-1)
This is the chance UTSA has been waiting for. They finally have a team good enough to compete at the upper echelons of G5 football. Tomorrow we will find out if this is all a mirage or if UTSA is really as good as most think they are.
This game is littered with excellent matchups all over the field. But at the end it’s a few key ones that will determine this one. On defense can the Roadrunners limit Calvin Austin and Brandon Thomas? Can they make the life of a freshman quarterback really hard? On offense, can Frank Harris win this one for UTSA?
And while I do think UTSA is ready for the big time I do not think they can pull this one out just yet. Give me the Tigers in a close one.
Memphis 34, UTSA 30